Device for cooling a coolant

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a device ( 1, 11 ) for cooling a coolant by heat exchange with another fluid, that comprises an inlet and at least two outlets ( 3, 4 ) provided at different levels for over-cooling the coolant. The device ( 1, 11 ) is characterised in that it comprises a modular structure including at least two modules ( 5, 6 ), each module ( 5, 6 ) including at least one outlet ( 3, 4 ), and in that both modules ( 5, 6 ) are hydraulically connected together by a male end-piece ( 7 ) of a first module interacting by insertion with a female end-piece ( 8 ) having a complementary shape of a second module ( 5 ).

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to the technical field of cooling a heat-transfer fluid or coolant that collects heat energy as it passes through ducts formed in a combustion engine or an electric motor.

It is aimed more particularly at a cooling device of the air/liquid type with which a motor is equipped, the air used to cool the coolant being the ambient air generally collected at the vehicle radiator grille.

PRIOR ART

In general, there are numerous cooling devices, notably with various stages to pick up the coolant at various temperatures. A device such as this has been described notably by the applicant in document FR 2 815 402.

That document actually describes a cooling device comprising one inlet and two outlets at different levels. Such a device has a one-piece structure and cannot be dismantled.

This type of structure may, however, prove problematic under certain conditions of use as it generates thermal shocks which damage the device and give rise to leaks.

It is therefore a first object of the invention to compensate for the expansion phenomena in order to avoid leaks at the joint where two assembled modules meet.

Cooling devices made of several isolated exchangers connected together by external hoses are also known. However, this device has numerous disadvantages in terms of the amount of space it occupies, and in terms of installation and maintenance cost.

The problem is that such external hoses have a limited life and may deteriorate, giving rise to leaks.

Hence a second object of the invention is to produce a cooling device that is compact and inexpensive by dispensing with the intermediate components and which is robust over time.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention therefore relates to a cooling device for cooling a coolant by exchange of heat with another fluid comprising an inlet and at least two outlets arranged at different levels to allow the coolant to be supercooled.

According to the invention, the device is characterized in that it comprises a modular structure of at least two modules, each module comprising at least one outlet and in that the two modules are joined together hydraulically by means of a male end-fitting of a first module push-fitting into a female end-fitting of complementary shape belonging to a second module.

In other words, a cooling device such as this can be assembled/dismantled into at least two modules without the need for a welding operation or an operation of connecting up using a set of external hoses. Simply fitting the male end-fitting and the female end-fitting together is enough for the two modules to be hydraulically connected in series.

Advantageously, the male and female end-fittings of the two modules may be arranged at those faces of the two modules that face one another. Thus, when the two, male and female, end-fittings are pushed together, those faces of the two modules that face one another, which may be bottom and top faces, move closer together. In this way, once the two modules have been push-fitted together, the male and female end-fittings are not visible and do not protrude from the volume formed by the cooling device.

In practice the male and female end-fittings of the two modules each have a cylindrical shape.

As a result, push-fitting the two modules together makes it possible to dispense with two degrees of mobility in the translational sense in the plane perpendicular to the direction of push-fitting but leaves the possibility of rotation about the axis of this direction. Thus, it is possible for the two modules to be push-fitted together by performing both the translational movement and also a rotation about the same axis if required.

According to one particular embodiment, the cooling device may comprise an O-ring seal at the joint between the male and female end-fittings. Such an O-ring makes it possible to create a seal forming circular linear contact on the outside of the male end-fitting and the inside of the female end-fitting respectively. Such an O-ring is generally arranged inside a circular groove formed on the surface of the male end-fitting.

Advantageously, the module that comprises a female end-fitting may comprise a tube running co-axial to the female end-fitting.

Thus, depending on the length tube used, it is possible to pick up coolant in a first module in a region that is not disturbed by the main outlet.

In practice, the cooling device may comprise securing means able to secure the two modules together with an inset connection. Such a securing means may, in particular, take the form of clips, but may also take the form of screws, studs or reversible crimping that allows the two modules to be disconnected from one another if necessary.

According to one particular embodiment, the two modules may be separated by an air gap. Thus, a thermal bridge is created between the two modules, giving the device a very good ability to withstand thermal shock. Specifically, the two modules can expand freely relative to one another without giving rise to additional stress in the module with which they are assembled.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The way of carrying out the invention and the ensuing advantages thereof will emerge clearly from the description of the embodiment which follows, which is given purely by way of nonlimiting indication, with the support of FIGS. 1 and 2 which depict two alternative forms of the device according to the invention, in an end-on view.

EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

As already mentioned, the invention relates to a device for cooling a coolant.

As depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2, such a cooling device (1, 11) comprises an inlet (2) generally connected by a hose to a heat source such as a combustion engine. It also comprises two outlets (3, 4) arranged at different levels in the device so as to allow the coolant to be tapped off at different temperatures according to need.

Such a cooling device (1, 11) also comprises a modular structure of at least two modules (5, 6) assembled by push-fitting so as to allow the two modules (5, 6) to be hydraulically connected to one another. Each module (5, 6) therefore comprises an outlet (3, 4) also connected using a hose to connect the cooling device to one or more ancillary devices.

The hydraulic connection between the two modules (5, 6) is also achieved by pushing a male end-fitting (7), positioned on a first module (6) into a female end-fitting (8) positioned on a second module (5). As depicted, these male and female end-fittings (7, 8) are arranged respectively on the lower and upper faces of the two modules (5, 6) so that the various inlets (2) and outlets (3, 4) are positioned in one and the same plane. However, other alternative forms are conceivable and the invention is not restricted to this single illustrated embodiment.

The lower face (9) of the first module (6) therefore faces the upper face (10) of the second module (5) and thus the region in which the two modules (5, 6) are push-fitted together is fully integrated into the volume formed by the cooling device (1, 11).

Moreover, an O-ring (12) may be arranged on the male end-fitting (7) so as to create a seal at the connection between the two modules (5, 6).

Furthermore, an air gap (16) allows a thermal bridge to be created between the two modules (5, 6) thus avoiding the formation of thermal shock at the joint between the two modules (5, 6).

Securing means (14, 15) can be used to immobilize the two modules (5, 6) in terms of their relative positions.

As depicted in FIG. 1, the securing means (14) may take the form of clips or of removable crimping rings collaborating with two planar portions protruding from the lower (9) and upper (10) faces of the two modules (5, 6).

As depicted in FIG. 2, the securing means (15) may just as well take the form of screws, rivets or the like which likewise collaborate with two planar portions of the two faces (9, 10) that face one anther.

One of the two module (5) may also comprise a tube (13) running coaxial to the female end-fitting (8) so as to collect coolant at a set temperature from inside the module (5).

It is evident from the foregoing that a cooling device according to the invention has numerous advantages, particularly:

-   -   it has simple modular structure that allows a multitude of         different cooling device to be created from a small number of         standardized modules;     -   it is of minimum volume because it has no external connections         between two modules;     -   it is able to alleviate the phenomena of expansion that can give         rise to leaks at the joint between two modules. 

1. A cooling device (1, 11) for cooling a coolant by exchange of heat with another fluid comprising an inlet and at least two outlets (3, 4) arranged at different levels to allow the coolant to be supercooled, characterized in that the device (1, 11) comprises a modular structure of at least two modules (5, 6), each module (5, 6) comprising at least one outlet (3, 4) and in that the two modules (5, 6) are joined together hydraulically by means of a male end-fitting (7) of a first module (6) push-fitting into a female end-fitting (8) of complementary shape belonging to a second module (5).
 2. The cooling device as claimed in claim 1 characterized in that the male (7) and female (8) end-fittings of the two modules (5, 6) are arranged at those faces (9, 10) of the two modules (5, 6) that face one another.
 3. The cooling device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the male (7) and female (8) end-fittings of the two modules (5, 6) each have a cylindrical shape.
 4. The cooling device as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that it comprises an O-ring seal (12) at the joint between the male (7) and female (8) end-fittings.
 5. The cooling device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the module (5) that comprises a female end-fitting (8) comprises a tube (13) running co-axial to the female end-fitting (8).
 6. The cooling device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that it comprises securing means (14, 15) able to secure the two modules (5, 6) together with an inset connection.
 7. The cooling device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the two modules (5, 6) are separated by an air gap (16). 